The Heir of Nuadha: The Story of Bardox
by A.M. Lena
Summary: (Part of the Heroes of Alexina Series) Trapped in the shadow of his father and brother Bardox has no choice but to break the mold if he is ever going to be seen as himself. With the help of an inheritance that was thought to never have existed and the mentorship of Professor J, he will make a name for himself and become the greatest Alchemist in all of Erinn.
1. Chapter 1

The Heroes of Alexina

A Mabinogi Fanfiction

By: A.M. Lena

(Note: I own nothing. Don't sue! The main character in the story doesn't even belong to me but a person who plays the game of Mabinogi and Bardox is all theirs, they just gave me the honor to add this to the series.)

Bardox

Chapter One

As the sun began to rise over the horizon Bardox sat waiting upon a hill, staring off into nothingness, contemplating, waiting. Near to him, wolves and foxes could be heard waking with the coming of the new day, yipping, and snarling as they began the dance of their morning routines. Birds rustled from their nests in the trees above, sheep bahhed in the fields, and the clink clink clink of carts could be heard traveling along the trail leading to Dugald Aisle, people whistling as they made their way from Tir Chonail to Dunbarton in order to sell their wares for the day. Life bustled, the silence of the early morning fading into nothing more than a fond memory at this point for the young lad as he continued to watch the world pass him by and wait, hoping that his father and brother would return home like they had promised. Sitting as he was, Bardox had a clear vantage point of the comings and goings of the village. He could see everyone from Ferghus clanking away in his forge and cursing as he more-then-likely broke yet another sword, Deian chasing after a sheep that had wandered off to close to a pack of wolves and screaming at the top of his lungs for the dear thing to come back, to Alissa and Nora gossiping about something that Piaras had done the night before.

As the morning wore on, the deadline for when he was supposed to meet up with the other recruits in front of the Magic School grew closer by the minute. Bardox continued to watch anxiously as milletians and merchants bustled in and out of the tunnel to Dugald, many of them stopping to talk with the people of the Trading Post in order to find out the latest gossip or deals for the day, none of them being the two people he longed to see most of all. Especially on today of all days. Frustration setting in Bardox relented with a sigh and a heavy heart that they just weren't coming. Getting up and patting himself down he quickly groomed himself back to the order he had been in when his mother had tidied him up at dawn, knowing full well that he was going to wait up for his father and brother, then made his way to the Magic School, slouched over with his hands buried in his pockets in disappointment.

By the time he made it to the school, with scarce minutes to spare, a crowd had already formed. The other ten-year-olds from his class had already lined up on the practice field with Lassar, Ranald, Trefor and Duncan standing front and center before the crowd as they waited for the last stragglers of this year's recruits and for Tin to appear in order for the ceremony to commence. Getting into place near the back, keeping a distance from most of his peers and ignoring the whisperings of the crowd that seemed to erupt at his presence, Bardox stood at attention, keeping his eyes locked ahead and making sure to not directly stare at anyone or anything so that he could eventually just blend in with everyone else.

He knew what they were all talking about, the whisperings and awed looks were never hidden from him, people treated him as a celebrity due to being the son of Lennox – the first of the Royal Alchemists – and younger brother to Leymore – alchemist extraordinaire who was just as good or not better than their father – and was expected by everyone, including said father and brother, to live up to the family name. So far he had done just that. He ranked at the top of his class for the newest group of milletians in all of his lessons, he won all of the mock fighting tournaments that were held within the village not once getting hurt and breaking many records, but in the end, it was never good enough. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how powerful he became or the effort he put into everything that he did, the response was always the same. Bardox would forever be compared to his father and brother, never to be seen as himself, just another carbon copy of the great Lennox and Leymore, never Bardox. If it wasn't for the fact that he loved alchemy and idolized the Royal Alchemists, wanting to be one from the first moment he had seen his father fight a Fomor, he would go into another field all together just to spite everyone around him. Being as things were, though, he simply couldn't do that to himself, despite knowing that this road would be harder for him than others and that he may never actually establish a name for himself due to his family.

Shaking his head Bardox cleared his thoughts and focused on the bustle of the crowd around him. Tin had arrived and was waving as everyone cheered, happiness seeming to radiate off of him in waves. Taking a quick peek into the crowd Bardox looked for his mother and froze. Standing beside his mother, hands locked together, was his father. His silver-grey hair was still pulled back in the military fashion he had grown accustomed to, his uniform pressed and polished to the nines and cylinders attached to his arms as if they were not a weapon at all but a part of him instead. Next to him was Leymore the spitting image of their father, long hair falling over his shoulders and a picture of rebelliousness and laziness combined. He had brought his friends Cai and Jenna with him, who waved energetically when they spotted Bardox looking at them. Shyly smiling at them, Bardox nodded towards their direction then turned back around to face Duncan as he began to address the new recruits in the ceremony that was now familiar to them all.

"It is an honor and a privilege to see you all here today," Duncan extended his arms to the crowd as he gestured to them all in turn, "as we see these brave young souls off into the world. Today these children will no longer be as they once were. Today they will become milletians of the Kingdom of Aliech, and will not only protect Uladh but all of Erinn. They will hone many skills and lessons upon this journey they have chosen to embark upon, one that many of us here today have taken ourselves." The crowd murmured in agreement, most of them remembering when they had taken these first steps into the world of a milletian.

"Today a new generation of milletians has begun," Duncan directed his attention to the recruits who were staring rapt in anticipation at him and Tin behind him, "Now you all shall join one by one the ranks of the milletians before you, to learn from them, to grow and harness your talents to the greatest of your abilities no matter what path the Gods lead you." With that Nao bowed and backed away a few steps to allow Tin a chance to speak.

Pulling a scroll from the inside pocket of his tunic, Tin cleared his throat from behind his helmet then loudly spoke to the recruits and crowd before him, "In a moment I shall call each of you by your name and you will come forward to stand next to Duncan and myself where you will announce what path you have chosen as your starter skill and you will be assigned a mentor who will train you for the next year. Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to switch paths at any time before the year is up, just know that finding a replacement mentor will take some time resulting in you having to wait until the ceremony next year in order to get a new one. If you stay within your chosen path you will continue to train with your mentor when the year is up as long as everyone is agreeable with the arrangement," Clearing his throat once more Tin continued, "We will begin with the recruits who had switched paths last year then work our way forward alphabetically to the recruits from this year's crop." He then turned to Duncan who had gathered a group of people, presumably the mentors that Tin had spoken about, behind him who stood shoulder to shoulder facing the recruits. Each of them looked intimidating in their own respects, but none more so then the tall man at the end.

The man at the end of the line of the mentors seemed to radiate power. With his arms crossed in front of his chest the male stood as straight as a soldier, his maroon uniform pressed and tucked meticulously against his solid frame and long black hair falling down his shoulders and his back in waves, the matching maroon hat on his head seemed to conceal his left eye completely. A long beautifully crafted sword hung at his waist and an equally impressive cylinder was attached to his arm along with a shield the likes of which Bardox had never seen before. It was attached to his arm like a cylinder would have been if he had a second one like most alchemists did, but instead, the device on his arm looked like a medium sized shield, it being nearly as large as half his torso. As Bardox looked over the mentors, he couldn't shake the feeling that the strange man at the end would be the one that he received.

"We are ready to commence," Duncan's voice rang over the crowd, "Tin will begin reading the names." With that, the process of going through all of the recruits began. When called each recruit walked forward, shook Duncan and Tin's hands, then announced what their chosen path would be. A mentor would then walk forward alongside Duncan, who would hand the new milletian a pack with some starter supplies, and they would then walk back together in the line the mentors came from originally. All the recruits from the year before had gone up and now stood in the growing line and the list that was for the new recruits for this year's batch began. Starting with a shaky and nervous Bardox.

When his name was called he hadn't heard it at first, lost in the moment of everything going on around him. After being called a second time, however, he stumbled forward, tripping over his own two feet, face a deep scarlet as he righted himself and marched forward. With a sweaty hand Bardox shook hands with Tin then nervously spoke in front of all the watchful gazes before him, "I have chosen the path of alchemy were I plan to become a Royal Alchemist like my father before me," a cheer rang from the crowd and he quickly turned away to face Duncan and his future mentor. Stomach falling at seeing who his mentor would be Bardox masked his feelings of fear as best as he could as he saw, like he somewhat expected, the intimidating tall man in maroon that he had been staring at before. Duncan smiled cheerily as usual at him as he accepted his new bag gratefully and learned that his mentor's name was "J" or as he liked to be called "Professor J", then walked to the line like the other new milletians before him and waited out the ceremony so that he could join his family and talk to his father and brother who he hadn't seen in months.

An hour had passed before the last of the recruits had been called and Bardox could have collapsed in relief, having grown tired of standing and waiting during the whole process, impatience having completely taken over, and was about to make a beeline for his family when a sturdy hand clasped his shoulder and J peered at him discreetly before nodding in the direction of Duncan who had begun to talk again. Turning scarlet once more at almost making a fool out of himself by bolting in the middle of Duncan's closing speech, then faced forward once more and tried to pay attention to everything that was being said and failing completely. Luckily for him, he didn't have to wait long and everyone was allowed to go celebrate with their families before they had to depart with their mentors in the morning.

Before he could even take a step towards his family though once more a strong hand landed on Bardox's shoulder and prevented him from moving. J once more peered at him, the silence around them permeating the air like a thick marshmallow, before the man spoke, his voice a smooth base, "I will come for you in the morning before dawn, be ready or I will leave without you and you will have to find a new mentor," Bardox's eyes widened in shock at the audacity of the man then grabbed the scroll that was being shoved at him, "this is a list of supplies that you will need. I have already given a copy to your father and he has assured me that you will have everything but you need to see this as well," as J spoke his eyes slowly locked with his fathers who had made his way behind Bardox when he hadn't immediately joined them after the ceremony was over, "if you do not have everything on the list you will have to do without until we can procure you the items elsewhere for I will not be bringing extras." With a final nod, J turned away from Bardox and his family and walked off without another word.

"That is a strange man," Jenna piped up after a while of silence upon J's departure.

"He is a royal scientist, they are all mad," Leymore piped in before being smacked on the back of his head by Cai then scolded by their father.

"Professor J is a brilliant man and it is an honor for your brother to have been chosen by him. He is in the process of creating a new form of alchemy as we speak and could have been a Royal Alchemist if he had not chosen the field of science instead. So you will show him respect," Lennox turned away from his eldest son who seemed to be ignoring him anyways then turned to his youngest, "I'm sorry we were not able to meet you on the road this morning Bardox. Your mother told us you had been waiting for us." He looked sheepish for a moment then returned back to the strict image he maintained always, even in the face of his family, "I am very proud of you and know that you will make a great addition to the ranks as soon as you join in a few years."

"We should be heading home now," his mother Astoria chimed in from behind his father, "Its already late and Caitin was kind enough to cook a feast for us in a certain someone's honor," she winked at Bardox and with that they made their way to their small home on the grasslands before Ciar Dungeon.

On opening the door to their cottage the smell of food smacked Bardox instantly, followed by the sight of streamers and balloons lining the walls from floor to ceiling along with a large banner with 'Congratulations Bardox" painted with different shades of red and smeared in multiple places. Caitin greeted everyone as they walked in and gave Bardox a bone crushing hug followed by a kiss on the cheek resulting in him turning a dull pink. Then everyone began to dig into the meal before them, becoming reacquainted again after so long of being apart. After a while Leymore, Cai, and Jenna were reciting tales of their adventures and Bardox was left alone to his thoughts for the first time in hours since the ceremony.

The sun had started its descent for the day, its orange hue fading down along the horizon and casting shadows on the wooden walls of the cottage, setting a relaxed atmosphere in the home. Bardox faded in and out of the conversations going around, choosing to focus on the journey ahead of him and what was going to happen in the morning when he left with J – or Professor J – his mentor. Not feeling up to celebrating any longer Bardox carefully stole away from the party, taking care for no one to notice him, and made his way outside where he sat down on the porch that he would not be seeing for a long time. Stowing away in the corner underneath the cottage window Bardox pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Not knowing what to make of his mentor and stressing out about how he was going to somehow make a name for himself and be taken seriously for his skills despite the family he was born into.

Bardox was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the front door opening and closing in front of him until his mother was kneeling in front of him and placing her hands on top of his own. Giving her son a loving smile Astoria pulled him into her arms and ran her fingers through his hair like she had done his whole life when he needed comfort, gently rocking him back and forth, humming the lullaby that her mother used to hum to her. "Being a milletian is scary," she finally said after a few moments, "and no matter how grown you become you will always be my son, my baby." Pulling his face upwards she stared into her son's eyes for a moment before continuing, "the road you have chosen is rough Bardox, I won't lie to you. But that doesn't mean you won't be successful. I know you feel you have a lot to live up to given your father and Leymore but don't let that consume you. You do not have to be like them, you can be anything that you want to be and it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say about the matter. Just be you, and be the best you possible. By doing that you will carve your name onto the world even more so than them."

Tears had begun to prick at Bardox's eyes, the love from his mother and the truth of her words overwhelming him and lifting a weight off of his shoulders that he hadn't realized that he had had. Giving her son a final hug Astoria reached behind her and handed Bardox a long wooden box that had been carved with various pictures of phoenixes all over its surface. He knew what this was, and couldn't believe that he was still actually holding onto it. With stuttered breath he managed to ask, "Mom, is this- is this what I think it is?"

With a nod, Astoria opened the lid off of the box and revealed the sword that had been inside. "It was my fathers, passed down to him by his father and his father before that and so on for five generations. When I became a milletian all those years ago he had given this to me as my celebration present and I am now giving this to you."

Bardox couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Why?"

"Because even though you have chosen to be an alchemist, something tells me that you are going to need this. That you will use this alongside your alchemy and that you will become something far greater than your father and brother combined. You always did have more of my blood in you after all, and we are said to have been descendants of the God Nuadha, of which this sword originally belonged to." He had heard the story of his mother's family for many years, and though part of him wished to believe the part of Nuadha being his great-great-great-great-great grandfather he wouldn't place any bets on it.

Never-the-less as he lifted the sword out of the box and inspected its ethereal beauty and for the first time a part of him was thrilled to even be able to hold it, though he doubted he would actually ever be able to use it, but would still carry it on him as a reminder of his mother when he left in the morning. With a whispered thanks and an emotional last hug the two went back inside to the party were Bardox excused himself for the evening, using the legitimate excuse of him having to leave early in the morning as a way to get out of staying any longer and headed for his room on the upper floor. On entering his room bags were packed in a corner of everything he will be having to bring with him in the morning and with a final goodbye to his room Bardox slipped into bed, set a charm to wake him in time for him to leave in the morning, then fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

The next morning when he awoke breakfast had been laid out for him and for the last time in a long time, far longer than he could have ever realized or known, he ate with his family and enjoyed their company, joking around with Leymore, Cai and Jenna like they all had done when they were younger, bonding with both of his parents at the same time of which was a rarity in itself given that Lennox was constantly having to stay in Tara as leader of the Royal Knights despite having a family to care for. All was well and cheerful in the cottage.

When Professor J had finally arrived everyone was at peace for this new stage in their lives, and as Bardox packed his things into the caravan and climbed in beside his mentor he made sure that his mother's sword was strapped securely on his person, even as he received strange looks from everyone around him, including J.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Sweat perspired along his brow, his muscles ached from exhaustion – sore from the hours Bardox had remained in the same position continuously summoning barrier spike after barrier spike as Professor J charged at him from all angles. Since leaving with his mentor the morning after becoming a full-fledged milletian in training a month prior, all he had been training day in and day out was how to defend himself against attacks. Something he had learned at an early age from his father – Lennox – was that being an Alchemist, though powerful, left you defenseless when alone which was the reason most alchemists traveled in Guilds, so he wasn't in the least surprised that he was training this first. What did surprise Bardox and bothered him though, was how tedious defense could be. At first, when he had started to train his barrier spikes he could see the progress he was making easily, quickly being able to summon two at a time after only two weeks of training – breaking his brother Leymore's record if his memory served him correctly – but now….

Frustration beginning to set in Bardox once more summoned another set of barrier spikes as Professor J launched a torrent of water balls at him, the soggy pellets splattering against his defenses and breaking them as easy as if they were made out of nothing more than paper rather than wood. With a growl he quickly dodged out of the way of his mentor's continuous barrage of attacks and summoned more barrier spikes to protect himself, the pattern continuing long into the day until the sun was high and beginning its descent over the horizon, the warm afternoon hues melting over their clearing and the mentor and student who chased each other in it.

Water splattered along Bardox back as Professor J got him from behind, his barrier spikes spluttering into dust before him. Collapsing to the ground from the impact Bardox laid there for a moment, relishing in the feeling of the damp soft grass against his face and arms, the heat of the day getting into him and causing his breath to grow labored. "Have you grown tired already Bardox?" Professor J's baritone echoed above him from where he lay, his mentor squatting next to him in order to better check his condition.

Not wanting to appear weak before his mentor Bardox struggled to push himself up, getting his shaking arms up from under him – his cylinder digging into his chest – before inevitably crashing back to the ground, a weak, "not in a million years," tumbling off of his tongue even as dots blurred his eyes.

A small smile, so subtle that Bardox would never have noticed it – even if his eyes had been open fully at the moment – crossed over Professor J's features as he let out a breath and composed himself before effortlessly standing back up and straightening his posture, "good, then you will be more than willing to go one more round before we call it a night." Professor J had no doubt in his mind that Bardox would take the bait, the boy showing with each passing day his determination to surpass that of his father and brother, never seeming to quit regardless of how much he ached or grew weary. It impressed him. When he had heard about the youngest son of the great Lennox considering becoming an alchemist once graduating into a milletian he had rolled his eyes and scoffed, seeing nothing more than a brat trying to outrun an enormous shadow that he could never hope to surpass within his mind. Upon further research on the boy though that view had changed. While Lennox was gifted in alchemy – a true hero of his time – and Leymore was born with nothing more than natural talent, Bardox was different. He had more of his mother in him than his father. A fire lit his eyes and with every move he made there was an air of defiance that spoke volumes, as if he dared anyone to even suggest that he couldn't do something, and relished in proving them wrong. Pushing himself to not be a carbon copy of another but rather make another wish to copy him instead.

Watching as Bardox once more pushed himself off of the damp earth Professor J knew without a doubt in his mind that this young man would be perfect for what he had in mind. There weren't many milletians who were determined enough to be able to do what he planned to teach Bardox, many would scoff and never even give the thought the time of day, brushing it off as an unfathomable possibility. Bardox was not one of those, and once he proved himself, Professor J would be ready to let him in on his plan and would truly teach him how to become the strongest alchemist that had ever lived.

Not wanting to disappoint and not willing to admit defeat Bardox stared down his mentor, making sure that the man knew that he was ready and willing to continue, that backing down was not an option for him at this point. If he was ever going to make a name for himself he had to be strong, he had to push himself, and if that meant that he had to ware himself down to the ground with each day in order to become stronger then he would.

Without warning, Professor J launched the attack, water balls flying at Bardox at inhuman speeds. Not thinking, only reacting, Bardox quickly threw up barrier spikes all around him, forming a triangle around his person and never noticing that he had thrown three instead of two as he shielded his face from the anticipated water ball that hadn't struck him. Hesitatingly, Bardox uncrossed his arms in defense and peaked around him, not believing his eyes. He had done it, he had gotten to the next level of barrier spikes and they had survived Professor J's water cannon….

Warmth flooded through his core as he and his mentor sat around the blazing fire around them. A blanket lay across his shoulders and a cup of warm milk rested between both of his cupped hands. Weariness flooded throughout Bardox's system and he ached all over. The ache didn't bother him anymore, when he had first begun his journey with the aloof Professor J he had spent many a sleepless night curled up in a ball in too much pain to fall asleep, spending his days tired beyond reason as he continued to push himself despite the struggles he was under, now though the aches weren't as pronounced and he was even glad for them. It meant he was improving, the pain meant that he was growing stronger. So he welcomed the ache, even if he was left like this at the end of the day. Depleted of all and any energy that he might have had, had he still been at home in Tir Chonail, and looking forward to nothing more than a handful of hours of undreaming sleep.

Silence echoed around them, the clearing dark and stagnant as the duo sat by their blaze in content and sipped warm milk – once secretly doused with a healing draught and the other brandy – and munched on fish stew and biscuits. Very little conversation was ever uttered between the two when they were not training for the day, the boy too tired to speak and the adult to private to begin with even if the other had been more sociable. Neither one of them minding the silence, they welcomed it and were content to spend their nights in companionable silence as they ate and eventually settled into sleep for the night.

Slowly taking in spoonful's of the stew Bardox's mind wandered, he was proud of himself for achieving three barrier spikes finally, and he was looking forward to more of the grueling practice in the coming weeks until he finally mastered it, but he couldn't help but wish he had more time to himself in order to practice with his mother's sword for a bit. He didn't want to switch his field of choice, alchemy would always and forever be his one and only true love in life, this he knew, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to the blade after he had inspected it not that long ago.

It had been on one of his sleepless nights that he had finally taken the blade out from its sheath and looked at it. When he had been given the weapon on the night he became a milletian he hadn't truly looked at it but merely left it within its casing, but on this particular night with nothing better to do and sleep evading him Bardox had taken his families blade out from its sheath and gazed upon its beauty for the first time. It resembled a spear more than it did a sword but it would serve its purpose dutifully regardless, the blade glowed a cerulean glow that seemed to radiate from the heavens as it danced against the striking metal, the shaft was sturdy and wrapped in leathers and surrounded by gold. Though plain, its simplicity is what made it so stunning in the first place. Power seemed to radiate off of it in waves and as Bardox stared transfixed in its glory a small part of him had hoped – and wished – that the legends surrounding his mother's families blade were true.

Coming back to himself Bardox continued to eat his stew and gingerly sip at his warm milk, strength ebbing its way through his body once more as he took his time and finished his meal. Feeling rejuvenated once more, Bardox stretched and laid down on the grass, his eyes closing in contentment and sleep starting to work its way through his system. Not wanting to sleep just yet he slowly opened his eyes to stare at the stars just starting to peak in the sky above and began to count the constellations out of habit, remembering how he used to do this on nights just like tonight with his brother and his brothers friends back when he had been a small child and Leymore had actually spent time with him.

Time continued to pass in comfortable silence between the mentor and student, Bardox counting the stars and Professor J in content concentration of thought. When the sky grew its darkest and the stars shone their brightest was when the duo finally tucked in for the night, exchanging the usual pleasantries of 'goodnights' before pulling thick woolen blankets over their heads. Almost instantly Bardox began to drift off into sleep, never hearing the subtle footsteps that barely echoed throughout the night. The near silent whispers that contrasted sharply against the otherwise silent night….

Mind crossing over into unconsciousness, sleep taking over, Bardox jumped out of his skin when out of nowhere blinding light flooded the camp. The frightening sadistic chortles of goblins finally reaching his ears as they invaded the clearing in glee. Almost instantly Professor J was out of his bedroll, taking on multiple of the bandits at one time, seeming unstoppable in his fury and seeming to know his enemies' movements before they knew them themselves. Stumbling out of his own bedroll Bardox fell repeatedly, adrenaline coursing through his veins and heart beating erratically out of his chest. Panic was setting in as his fingers stumbled clumsily to strap on his cylinder, failing again and again and again, the screeches of felled goblins echoing in his ears and getting to him completely.

As he finally began to get the straps attached to his wrist the hulking meaty fist of one of the goblin bandits closed over his slender shoulder, turning him around and flattening him to the ground in one blow, the sausage like fingers and palm contracting against his chest and throat at the same time, holding him down as if he was no more than a rag doll. Struggling to bring air to his lungs Bardox flailed wildly, the young boy trying desperately to break away from his grinning captor. Dots flashed before his eyes, the looming grin of the enormous goblin the only thing seeming to fall into his fleeting field of vision when his hand collided with something in his flailing. Only reacting, not registering what he was doing, Bardox clasped onto the object like a lifeline and swung with all his might, as feeble as it appeared to be, stunning the goblin holding him down and loosing the behemoths grip enough to struggle free.

Catching his breath and stumbling away from the brute as quickly as possible Bardox looked in his hands and the world seemed to stop. Clutched between his trembling fingers was his sword. The sword that was supposed to have been Nuadha's, the God he was supposedly descended from.

All around him goblins screeched, some gallantly and others in freight, Professor J was holding his own though greatly outnumbered, and as the seconds ticked by something seemed to click and Bardox moved. Quickly strapping the last of the straps onto his cylinder and flinging the sheath off of his sword Bardox lunged forward, creating barrier spikes around himself and Professor J and started swinging with the sword recklessly. Numbness had set in completely leaving him unable to feel or even think as he and his mentor cut through the last of the bandits, most being considerably weak – especially against the formidable Professor J – the only one causing problems being the giant goblin that had assaulted Bardox's person prior at the beginning of the raid, the brute managing to break every one of his barrier spikes and eventually knocking him off of his feet and into a tree, only to be struck down by Professor J in the same instance afterwards.

Sword scattered amongst the remains of the goblins, head throbbing and back aching Bardox tried to rise to his feet, dizziness preventing him from doing so. Shakily clutching his head, he tried once more, turning his head wearily towards his mentor, Professor J blurrily striding towards him being the last thing he saw as darkness set in and he knew no more….

Professor J tended to Bardox's wounds gently, pity for the youth filling his mind and slight pangs of guilt attacking his heart. He had known the attack was going to come. As soon as the bandits had begun to surround them during their dinner he had sensed them, he had just failed to consider how many there would be, which was something that would not be repeated in the future if he had any say about it. Finishing up the last of the bandages around his students head he gently placed the boy against his pillow and then covered him back up in his blanket once more. Placing a few healing charms against Bardox's person he steadily began to clear the area of the bandit's bodies; by the time that he was done there was no trace of a bandit attack at all, as if it had never happened to begin with.

Finishing up with his cleaning of the clearing Professor J picked up the sword that Bardox had been using and examined it, his eyebrows raising to his hairline and surprise etching across his features. He had seen the boy carry the blade with him since they had departed the morning after the ceremony for new milletians, seeing it as no more than a trinket and putting it out of his mind until the time was right and the boy was ready to learn the new skill he had developed. But now, as he looked at the delicate design, and recognized the blade in question he couldn't help but wonder why Bardox possessed Brionac, and why Lugh no longer held it in his possession.

Eyes flashing back to the unconscious boy in question Professor J carefully put Brionac back in its sheath before placing it at Bardox's side, plans already forming in his mind, and questions falling against his tongue only to be held back by the vision of the boys slumbering face before him keeping his interrogation at bay. Seeing as there was no point in thinking upon the matter at the moment, Professor J set out his bedroll once more, fluffed his pillow and laid down once more, this time fully intending to fall into a calm slumber. Eyes falling shut and mind powering down, he made a mental note to contact the Aces in the morning before they departed. They were close to headquarters after all and it would be rude to arrive unannounced...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next morning prior to the bandit attack, Bardox woke in a haze. Disoriented and confused he peered around his surroundings from within his bedroll, head swimming as he gingerly sat up, the covers pooling around his torso. A fire crackled nearby and as he rubs the last granules of sleep from his eyes he could see his mentor, Professor J, cooking what appeared – from the smell alone – to be a morning stew. Something that he had grown used to in his travels with the man thus far. Looking around the clearing he half expected bodies to still be littered among the dirt, but as he inspected everything around him the clearing looked exactly as it had been before the attack as if it had never happened.

Forcing himself to stand up Bardox stretched purposefully, making sure everything was working properly on his person and checked for damage. Upon touching his head, he gave a small yip, then quickly moved his hand away from the apparent bandage that covered it. With the impact his skull had taken the night before he more than likely had a concussion, so he would have to be careful in the days to come. Slowly he made his way to the fire, sitting across from Professor J who promptly ladled him a bowl of the stew, and took careful bites, his throbbing head making even the simplest of movements a struggle.

The duo continued their meal in silence as was their norm. Both respectively keeping their thoughts to themselves until the meal was finished and the dishes clean once more, until Professor J broke it with a clearing of his throat and motioned for Bardox to pay attention. "Luckily nothing was stolen in the attack last night, and neither of us was hurt beyond repair," his eyes roamed to the boys bandaged head as he spoke, "I had sensed them last night and should have warned you that they were near. For that I am sorry, I had assumed that they were fewer in numbers as is the custom for their kind." If it wasn't for his head throbbing continuously and his eyes swimming Bardox would have been livid, but with the way things were, even if he had known that they had been there all along he would have been just as useless in the attack as he had been anyways. "Which is why," Professor J continues, "I have decided that the next phase of your training will be both defense and offense. You have almost mastered barrier spikes so it shouldn't take you much longer, I say a month or so before you completed it. Once you have you will begin work on summoning a Gollum."

A huge smile crossed over Bardox's features. All thoughts of being livid disappeared as he grew excited about the next step in his journey. "But," his heart began to drop as his mentor burst his bubble, "all of that will have to wait regardless of how close you are to mastering it. You have a concussion, a serious one at that, and you need to rest. That means no training," Bardox was about to interject but Professor J raised a placating hand to silence him, "there are no buts and no complaining on this Bardox. This is an order. An alchemist's mind is his most treasured weapon and without it, we are powerless. So you will rest. That being said, we cannot rest here in case of another bandit attack. Luckily for us I had already made arrangements with my Guild to house us for a time, I had not intended for us to arrive there so soon but given the circumstances, it seems like the most practical of our options. We will head out on the hour; I will assist you with your pack but after that, you will be on your own to carry it. We should arrive before sunset, mid-afternoon if we are fast. I sent word this morning so they will be looking out for us on the road, and whatever you do," he gave Bardox a pointed stare and made sure to look him in the eyes as he spoke, "if you see a man with white hair and earrings do not provoke nor speak to him. He's a menace."

With that Professor J and Bardox slowly but surely got the campsite together in their packs, piling them all within the cart back to the way it once was when they had first arrived at the clearing over a week ago, managing to do all of this within the hour that Professor J had set for them. By the time Bardox finally sat down, leaning against the pile of packs that lay behind him, his head swam even more than before, his eyes feeling like they were moving against his will from within his cranium with every jostle of the cart as it moved along the trail to – well, he didn't really know where other than that it was going to have people from his mentor's Guild there where ever it was and that he was supposed to avoid a white-haired earing wearing man at all costs apparently. Closing his eyes to keep the swimming of his eyes and throbbing of his head down a bit Bardox began to drift in and out of consciousness, finally – after hours of traveling – his eyes closed and he didn't open them again until they arrived at mid-afternoon to a house on a small hill on the outskirts of Taillteann….

This time, when Bardox awoke he wasn't in the field or even the cart like he had expected to be, not fully realizing that he had indeed fallen asleep on the ride to his mentors Guild members house, but instead woke in a bed unlike his own. It wasn't nearly as soft as the one that had been in his small room back at his family's farm, and there weren't any pictures lining the walls. Everything was sterile and empty around him, giving the bedroom a sense of loneliness – almost as if no one had lived in it until this moment. This time, when he sat up the dizziness was gone and his eyes stayed put like they were supposed to, making it easier for him to get out of the almost rock solid bed and look around. He had been stripped of his over shirt and shoes, the shirt in question having been folded neatly on the end table next to the bed and his shoes placed on top of it. His packs were on the other side of the end table that faced the door and the opposite direction of the bed and his sword along with his cylinders hung from hooks that lined up against the wall that attached to the rounded door. Candles seemed to float in the air along the ceiling, appearing to be created by magic rather than being held up by strings and a large window allowed the light of the moon and stars to shimmer into the room brilliantly.

Smells of food wafted through the air and seeing no reason to not go towards the source Bardox eagerly placed his over shirt back on along with his shoes, foregoing his weapons for the moment considering where he most likely was. Professor J wouldn't abandon him somewhere and he doubts that he could have slept through another attack, so they were more than likely at his mentors Guild's house.

Walking along the long stretch of the hallway he passed by three other rooms as he made his way towards the source of the smell; Bardox could pick up voices as he steadily got closer to a room that was lit by more of the floating. On reaching the door and looking inside he could tell instantly that it was a crude dining room, nothing as lavish as his had been at home, and around the worn greyed tabletop sat Professor J with a buxom woman with long black hair a flower pin that pulled it partly aside, a man with white hair and a devilish grin – the same man he could only assume was the one his mentor had told him to avoid – and a small boy who looked no more than five years old with wavy golden locks and large blue eyes. Professor J was the first to notice his presence when he entered the dining room – of which he noticed on entering was also the kitchen and den – and soon after he was introduced to Starlet – the buxom woman – and Merlin – the mischievous looking man – lastly shaking hands with the little boy, who turned out to be their ward, named Tarlach who seemed to make an immediate attachment to him on shaking his hand and wouldn't let it go for the rest of the evening as they ate and got to know one another.

It was odd to see Professor J in a sociable light, to see him actually talking and laughing with the beautiful Starlet, or the joking mock glares and insulting banter that he exchanged with Merlin – who he was slowly growing to like despite being able to tale instantly that he was nothing more than a trouble maker. Turns out it had been Merlin who had healed him properly when they had arrived, so finding out that had also played a part in him warming up to the strange mage. He also later learned that it had been Tarlach's room that he had been sleeping in as he recovered and that he would be having to share a room with the small boy, something that he hadn't ever had to do before even with his own brother due to their family's wealth. As the night wore on and the more he casually inspected the place and talked with the people around him the more he began to realize how blessed he had truly been back home and how a part of him also secretly wished that the rambunctious chaotic energy that was around him now had been around him his entire life.

When the meal was finally over and the night had begun to wore on he and Tarlach weren't sent to bed – despite his urgings that he didn't need a bed time - Professor J took him aside for a moment and told him to be prepared for an outing in the morning, because though he was healed, he still needed to rest for a few more days. They were going to go into the village and talk with a friend of his so he was to be ready to learn. With that they parted ways, Professor J heading back to the other Aces and Bardox heading towards the room he now shared with the young boy. That night as they shared a bed, Tarlach's small frame clinging to his arm and snuggling against him Bardox slept peacefully for the first time since he began this journey of becoming a milletian, his dreams filled with images of a man with blonde hair and a metal arm calling out his name before fading away into darkness….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 _Darkness covered everything, there was nothing left but a blank empty void, like a canvas painted black. A world where silence echoed shrilly and closed down upon all that it touched. Standing amidst the darkness, the only living thing within the void was an enormous figure shrouded in a veil of light. The man stood tall and defiant, energy radiating off of his powerful frame in waves. He was missing an arm, of which was replaced by an intimidating metal gauntlet that stretched all the way to his shoulder in its place. His golden mane was pulled back from his brow and fell to his collar, his dark eyes pierced deeply into the soul of anyone they happened to look upon, and raven wings larger than himself that trailed all the way down to the soles of his feet arched from his back and into the void beyond him. His mere presence alone could bring even the strongest of men down to their knees before him. He was a God in human clothing and stood patiently awaiting the person who now stood before him to come. To find him. The name of the person tumbling like water cascading down a brook from his lips… Bardox…_

 _Bardox…..._

 _Bardox…..._

 _BARDOX…!_

Bardox awoke in a daze, sweat beading at his brow and secreting from his body as if he had just marched a full day in the blazing sun. His underclothes were completely soaked from his perspiration along with the sheet above and under him, the pillow, and poor little Tarlach who still slept peacefully in the same position against his chest as he had when he had first snuggled against him when they had gone to bed however long ago. Hair plastered to his face Bardox gingerly moved Tarlach into a safer, more dry position on the other side of the bed, then crept carefully out of the chilly room. He didn't bother with his shoes or changing his clothes, just instinctively grabbed his sword and silently made his way out of the room, through the silent cottage, and into the crisp morning air outside. The shrillness of it attacking his skin like millions of tiny needles, the frost of it wakening him even further and calming his erratic heart as it attempted to beat out of his chest.

The dream had frightened him. He had never experienced the likes of it before. Was it a nightmare? Or something else entirely? That was the question that plagued his mind for in all this was no ordinary dream. It left him shaking and afraid, even though nothing remotely scary had happened. In the end, he could only conclude that what was frightening him so was the man. The enormous winged man who, despite never seeing before and was more-then-likely nothing more than a figment of his imagination, felt so familiar and intimate, as if he had known him all his life. His presence spoke wonders in only moments and he could have sworn the man had been calling out to him, his deep rumble vibrating through the air and falling to his ears silently, picking up in volume like a plea until he finally awoke covered in sweat and heart racing.

Standing beside the cart that had brought him and Professor J to the cottage he ran a hand through his drying hair, the cold biting at his exposed flesh and causing him to shiver. He supposed that he should really go back inside but a part of him did not wish too. Bardox wouldn't be able to fall back asleep even if he tried so he figured there wasn't any point in trying, he supposed that he could attempt at cooking a meal for everyone in the home but he didn't know what everyone liked or disliked yet or how much they ate in general so he threw that aside as soon as it crossed his mind. Looking down at the sword he had carelessly grabbed with him on his escape outside he began to admire it like he always did when in his hands. Clutching it in both hands he ran his fingers nimbly along the words 'Brionac' that were etched in gold along its sheath. He thought back to the stories his mother used to tell him when it came to the swords origins and a slight smile played on his face. He remembered his favorite as a small child and he couldn't help playing the story out in his head just as his mother had so many times before:

 _Nuadha, his supposed ancestor, had been wounded in a great battle. One that had cost him dearly. Stumbling through the woods, dyeing from his wounds, dehydration and hunger he had stumbled on a farm. It was the farm of a doctor and his only daughter Marylyn, whose mother had died the spring before. The doctor had found the wounded God and, not knowing who the man truly was, nursed him back to health with the help of Marylyn. As Nuadha healed and became strong once more he quickly became infatuated with the doctor's lovely daughter not hesitating to make his feelings known. For seven years he stayed upon this farm, and for seven years he courted the beautiful Marylyn until finally at the start of the seventh year she had become his bride. It was then that he had gained enough strength to win back his kingdom and save his people, and it was all due to the help of the good doctor and his bride. Nuadha had reclaimed his throne before the Gods and his children had ruled forever after him. His sword being passed down from generation to generation, the true heir being the only one who could wield it and harness his powers…._

As lovely a story as it was Bardox knew it was just that, a story nothing more. Though he did come from the royal line, his mother being a cousin to the crown, it was not possible for him to be king. That was his cousin's place, not his and he accepted this, even if part of him wished the story was true and the sword actually did contain a great power of the Gods.

Carefully pulling the sword from its sheath, he admired its strange beauty before cautiously getting into a battle stance. Making sure to stay a distance from the cart and began to swing the spear-like sword rapidly, his moves and stance sloppy from never being properly trained. Bardox stayed out there well into the morning, the sun fleeting over the horizon before he stopped, his body now warmed from the workout and the breeze a relief against his overheated skin.

"Are you sure you're not a warrior brat?"

Sword falling from his hands Bardox jumped and spluttered into a heap onto the ground.

"You're not much of an alchemist are you?" Merlin's chagrin appeared over his face, the mage chuckling at his clumsiness before extending him a hand and helping him back up from the ground and taking the sword before Bardox could reach it, lifting it high above his head also in order to keep it out of his reach. "What type of craftsmanship is this, it looks nothing like a sword and more of an over decorated spear." He jeered.

"Give it back," Bardox jumped up and snatched it from Merlin's hands, surprising the mage with how high he could actually jump, "It's a family heirloom."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "either way kid shouldn't you be using your cylinder rather than that hunk of junk. Or are you getting second thoughts? I know J is a pain in the ass to be around but I didn't peg you as a quitter."

"I'm not quitting!" Bardox blood began to boil at the implication.

"Could've fooled me brat!"

Bardox was about to reiterate when Professor J had come up from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Starlet made breakfast, go eat," he stared at Bardox until he moved and continued to watch him until he made it to the door and went inside. He could hear his mentor and Merlin talking but he couldn't make out anything that they were saying. His mood fouled from his encounter with the mage Bardox quickly put his sword back in his shared room with Tarlach, who was nowhere in sight, threw on something more decent for company then rushed into the dining room they had all ate at the night before.

Starlet had prepared what appeared to be a feast. All sorts of breakfast goodies, a lot of which Bardox had never seen before, were laid out along the same worn table from the night before, Tarlach already sitting in one of the many chairs and insisting that Bardox sits next to him. As soon as he sat down Starlet had placed a heaving pile of food in front of him, his stomach choosing to start aching and growling at the moment the food appeared before him. "You two boys go ahead and eat, everyone should be joining us shortly," Starlet said kindly as she began to serve herself a plate of the delicious looking food as well. She sat across from Bardox and seemed to be watching him as he ate as if to gauge his reaction to the food.

Not wanting to speak with his mouthful Bardox gave a big swallow of everything that was in his mouth and gave a polite "Thank you" and "it's really good" before digging in again, noticing the pretty smile that spread over her lips at doing so and making him blush from head to toe, turning a beat red. She was awfully pretty when she smiled.

It didn't take long for Merlin and Professor J to join them from outside, neither of them speaking to each other or anyone else for that matter as they got their own food and sat on either side of Starlet. Merlin was ordinarily quiet, irritation lining his features and pouring off of him with every bit of food that he ate and Professor J was even more tense than usual, his typical calm exterior seeming to have been rattled. Whatever they had been talking about outside had them both riled up and everyone at the table could feel it if they had been a mile away they still would have been able to with how the both of them were holding themselves. Breakfast remained in this manner until finally Starlet excused herself and took Tarlach with her, promising the young boy some treats at lunch time if he helped her with the gardening leaving Bardox alone with the two fuming men before him who kept giving each other daggered looks when the other wasn't looking. Finally, much to Bardox relief, Merlin stormed off from the table and left him and his mentor to themselves. Letting out a breath of relief Bardox didn't dare ask what that was all about, afraid of what the answer may be and slightly having a feeling as to what it was – i.e. him – and finished the last of his toad-in-a-hole quietly.

"You should get ready; we will be going to the village as soon as the cart is set up. I will be introducing you to two more of my companions today, and they will be aiding me in your training." This puzzled Bardox, he thought that Professor J was his mentor and that only his mentor was supposed to train him, not other people.

"Aren't you going to be training me, Professor?" He asked timidly, confusion lining his words.

"Yes, but I will not always be here. Unlike other mentors I cannot devote my entire time to training a pupil because of my duties to the Kingdom. I have a job that takes precedent over most matters and when duty calls I must answer it. Which is why when I am not around you will be deferring your training to my comrades Dorren and Eabha. I trust them with my life and in extension yours. So get ready, we will be leaving shortly," with that Professor J grabbed his and Bardox's empty plates and placed them in the sink before walking out of the room to presumably get the cart ready.

Bardox was mainly ready to begin with, all he truly needed was his cylinders – he hesitated at bringing his swords and almost left them behind but decided against it and strapped it on as well - so it didn't take long for him to get out there and help with the finishing touches of the cart. After strapping the horses in they were set and ready to go, Professor J taking the reins and Bardox climbing in beside him staring at the scenery as they took off.

There were a lot of trees, wolves, and bears around them. It almost surprised Bardox how many there were, it was foreign to him. He had lived around wolves and trees his entire life, but never as many as he was around now, and surely never around an actual bear before. He felt like a tourist seeing a new world for the first time. It was exhilarating and magical all at the same time and he honestly enjoyed it. He enjoyed it even more when in no time at all they made it to the enormous walls of Taillteann, the village being much larger then Tir Chonail would ever be, at least in his lifetime he was sure. There were homes of every shape and size, farms and military bases for not only the human soldiers but for the Giants and Elves as well. He had never seen so many Giants and Elves before in one place and they hadn't even made it to that side of the village yet. When he had inquired about going to visit the Headquarters for both group Professor J gave smiled and said that they would visit sometimes, so he didn't notice when they had arrived at the alchemy shop from the excitement and images of the fantastical creatures floating about his head like a buzzing bee.

"Bardox," his mentor's voice snapped him from his thoughts instantly, "we are here."

Not wanting to be rude, Bardox quickly climbed down from the cart and caught up with Professor J who hadn't waited for him to catch up and was walking towards an elderly woman who wore a shawl over her head and a boy with hair the color of chestnuts. "This is Dorren," Professor J gestured towards the woman, "and this is Eabha," he gestured to the boy, "These two like I told you earlier will be instructing you when I am away on business," he then turned to the two in question and introduced Bardox, "This is my pupil Bardox, he is a well behaved so I am sure you will all get along just fine and that he will be an excellent student."

"Wait," Bardox couldn't contain it, "Isn't he my age?" It had just dawned on him that the boy standing before him, who was shorter than himself by at least a foot, was the Eabha in question that was supposed to help him in his training.

"I'm much older than I look," Eabha said in a high squeal.

Bardox looked at Professor J for reassurance that this wasn't some joke and was faced with his usual expressionless glare and resigned himself that he would have to be learning from this pipsqueak and that life seemed to be throwing him even more cruel jokes. "It's nice to meet you both," he gave a slight bow, "I'm looking forward to spending more time with you in the future…."


End file.
